


Scroll Through Your Problems

by Knill



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Angst, Corruption, Gen, Whump, never realm, ninjago season 11
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:01:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27509509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Knill/pseuds/Knill
Summary: Set some time after the Ice chapter - the ninja have yet to experience the full force of their recovery holiday, because a short trip to the Never Realm cannot fix months of idleness.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 29





	1. Post Mission Stress Disorder

**Author's Note:**

> So right off the bat, I'm not a native english speaker, so sorry in advance about any grammatical errors.  
> I need some english writing experience, subtle of me to write about the ninja also needing training, huh? :)  
> Anyway I wanted to explore the whole recovery thing the ninja did after MotO for a long time now, I was especially intrigued by Cole in the Fire chapter. If you can remember when the gang were fighting Wu, Cole just slammed his hands into the ground and..? Nothing exciting happened. And Wu said something about his powers no longer listening to him. But the other's could use their powers just fine - well at least visually, Wu wiped the floor with them, as well as Aspheera, who okay knows spinjitzu, but honestly those are the legendary ninja, they were sooo off their game - so probably the same problem there.  
> Thus I'm gonna give you my take on/headcanon/theory fic on how elemental powers work when you've been through hell and back and then let all that accumulated power just sit there.

''Boy am I glad we don't have to worry about those damned scrolls  _ ever _ again." said Cole cheerfully as he plastered tape all over the carbon box, where the ninja have placed the remaining Scroll of Forbidden spinjitzu.

Zane dropped his gaze in shame and Pixal gave him an encouraging smile. ''Aren't we all.'' said Zane and the others gave into silent nods, no one really wanting to spark  _ that _ conversation again.

Lloyd's face darkened for a second, but as it was only for such a short time, no one seemed to notice. 

''Right, so I'm guessing it's time we had that lunch." he chipped in. Everyone agreed with loud yeses and Cole's stomach growled menacingly, as they hurried out of the room, leaving the box in the middle of their room. Lloyd stayed at the door and gave the not so neatly secured packet somewhat lustful look. 

Lloyd knew all too well what it could do to a person, heck he still felt guilty about yelling at Nya in the Land Bounty, but... there was this nagging feeling at the back of his head. Zane only succumbed to the corrupting influence of the scroll because someone had misled him, right? So there's not really a reason the ninja shouldn't use it. If they would only use it for like emergencies, what harm could it really do? 

...other than make Lloyd more powerful to take out anyone who'd stand in his way-

Lloyd gasped for breath and quickly left the room, closed the door and gave into relieved sigh as he crashed his back into the wooden desk.

Okay, that was something. He didn't even need to be touching the scroll to start with the foul mood...

''Dude, are you okay?"

''Whoa!'' Lloyd jumped at Kai's question and tried to regain his composure. How long was he standing there? ''Yeah I'm fine!" He added, but his voice did a weird leap and the green ninja could only curse himself for not being more observant. Did he say anything of that stuff out loud?

Kai gave him an understanding face. ,,Look, I don't... I don't know what happened in there...'' Lloyd froze. ''In the throne room..?" 

Oh.

,,That's not what this is about." Lloyd murmured. 

Kai raised his eyebrows. ,,Then what  _ is _ it about?" 

Lloyd looked Kai in the eyes. He wanted and needed to tell someone about what the scroll made him... feel. 

But would Kai get it? And would it even matter if the source of Lloyd's latest concerns would be soon locked under mister Borg's tower, safe from the likes of Aspheera and... and him..?

''It's nothing." Lloyd said with a fake smile. It's not worth it. ''It's just our usual PMSD."

''A what?" 

''Ask Jay."

''What?" 

But Lloyd had already bolted to the kitchen. Kai just sighed and hurried to catch up.

''Heey, who ordered a pizza with broccoli?'' whined Jay and carefully poked at the vegetable. Lloyd and Kai who just came in made a 'ew' sound and went to search the other boxes. 

''That would be me.'' said Cole mournfully and Jay slided it to him with disgust. 

''What's the matter, Cole? Back to the temple thing?'' he smirked as he managed to steal a slice of a pizza with some mushrooms on it.

''I have to.'' Cole complained. ''Master Wu told me that if I want my powers to work normally again, then I have to get back in shape!''

''You won't get into shape by eating broccoli pizza.'' Nya argued.

''Yeah, you're just voluntary tormenting yourself.'' Lloyd added.

''Wait what do you mean you want your powers to work normally again?'' Kai asked. ''Your powers are fine.''

''They're not though.'' Cole gulped the first bite of the pizza, cautiously biting off the part, where the green vegetable wasn't. ''Maybe your powers are fine, but mine aren't. I used to be able to lift a bus with only one finger and now I'm struggling to lift a rock without straining myself.''

''What are you talking about, of course you can lift a bus!'' Jay squabbled. ''You're the elemental master of earth. That's like your thing!''

''Exactly! Oh. This is disgusting...'' he muttered as he finished the first piece of the pizza.

''Wait, so you really think that we might need some extra training because our powers are acting funny?'' Kai wondered.

''I'm not saying  _ you _ , I'm saying I need it.'' 

''Well  _ my _ powers are fine.'' Lloyd said confidently.

''Yeah mine too.'' added Nya.

''Same here.''

''I have been using my powers for decades, I don't think I'll require any more training.'' Zane added. 

When they all just stared at him, Zane shrugged. ''It's true.''

''Awkward.'' Jay whispered.

''What about you Kai?'' Lloyd asked. 

Kai just raised his hands and gave them a pondering look. ''I think I will need some training.'' he concluded as he put his hands down. ''I did use my fire to its full potential when we were fighting the dragon, but...''

''But what?'' Pixal who'd been silent, only listening to the conversation, suddenly spoke up.

''It's hard to explain but... I guess ever since I got my powers back I haven't really been able to make it do exactly what I want.''

''They aren't listening, huh?'' said Cole with a mouthful of pizza.

''Yeah well it's kinda from a different reason, teddy bear.''

''Oh har har.''

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful for the ninja. Kai and Cole went ahead and sparred and the team was watching them a little while, before each splitting to do their own thing. Nya and Jay disappeared to Ninjago City to do something ''secret'' as Jay called it. For some reason he especially didn't want to mention anything about it in front of Cole. Zane and Pixal took a ride to the Ninjago City as well to visit Pixal's father and give him the scroll, while Lloyd just wandered around the monastery, not really sure what to do. Zane and Pixal did invite him with them, but he wouldn't know what to talk about with Borg. These visits tended to be private, like a father, daughter and a boyfriend visit.

Plus he wanted to be as far as possible from the scroll. 

He was wondering about what Cole said about his powers. It's true they weren't at their best these last few weeks... well months. But  _ his _ powers were normal right?

He reached his hands in front of himself and started practising spinjitzu. Very slowly, as master Wu and the guys taught him all those years ago. He moved gracefully in place and felt his power responding. 

What people usually thought the ninja did when they were spinning around in colorful tornadoes, wasn't really spinning at all. If done correctly, the spinjitzu art draws at one's very core, in case of the elemental masters at their powers, and it will manifest as a small tornado. The element was essentially spinning around, protecting it's user while the one using the form would see everything slowed down and easy to knock to the ground.

It wasn't without a cost. Spinjitzu was very physically demanding on both elemetals and powerless people. 

As Lloyd opened his eyes, he saw exactly what he expected. His green energy crackled in his palms and moved around following his hands. 

He closed his eyes again and started the form again, this time faster. And faster still.

Around him his power spun wildly and Lloyd willed it to go forward and he moved.

''Hey you liar!'' Lloyd startled the second time this day, when Kai shouted at him from behind a tree. This time with consequences. Lloyd yelped and lost his balance and his tornado tore apart as he spun around and shot a blast of energy right into Kai's face, who yelled something and ducked to the wet grass. ''WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!'' he raged, when Lloyd sank to his knees.

''What am  _ I _ doing? What are you doing!'' Lloyd shouted back. ''You can't just sneak up on me like that!''

''I know that now!''

Lloyd got to his feet and started walking towards his brother. ''What do you want Kai?''

''I thought you said you don't need to train.'' said Kai with his arms crossed. 

''I don't, I just needed to think.''

''While doing spinjitzu?''

''Yes, now, what is it?''

Kai sighed in defeat. ''Wu wants to talk with you.''

* * *

That evening Lloyd sat with master Wu in front of his smouldering sticks. He once explained to Lloyd that what he was doing wasn't smoking, not in the real sense. He'd have to be inhaling the smoke with a cigarette for example. 

Lloyd argued that he's still inhaling smoke if he's in a closed room with burning sticks. That's when Wu told him that these pieces of wood have actually prophetic properties and that he's merely looking at possible future events. Nothing like Zane's visions, for those Wu haven't found a solid explanation yet, but he did say it might have to do something with him being the ice elemental. 

No the sticks had apparently come from an old tree that is said to be recording some sort of spirit radio and from time to time, if something big is coming, one sitting in the room, smoking, would...

"As I have told you, nephew, it is not smoking."

"Isn't it?" asked Lloyd and coughed, to try and get the distasteful air from his lungs. 

Wu sighed. "You're just making this longer than it has to be." 

"Hey, getting warnings from eldritch personas and giving them away in a cryptical manner is kinda your job. Master." he added quickly at Wu's slightly disapproving eyebrows.

"I'm not always gonna be able to perform this ritual, Lloyd." Wu said bitterly and closed his eyes once again.

"What are you talking about?" Lloyd frowned. Wu didn't say anything, only his forehead became more wrinkled. "You're not dying aren't you?" Lloyd asked, now worried. Still no answer. "Uncle Wu?" 

Wu slit his eyes open again. "I am not. Now hush and focus." 

Lloyd rolled his eyes. "Fine." 

* * *

''What's up?'' asked Nya as she entered the monastery with Jay right behind her. They both looked like and smelled like they could use a shower. Had they been training as well and just didn't want Kai and Cole to know about it? 

The red ninja rolled his eyes. Seriously, what was everyone's problem? ''Lloyd's meditating with master Wu.''

''He's what?'' Jay laughed. ''Is Wu trying to turn Lloyd in his image?''

''The only thing missing would be a beard then, because they've been at it for the past hour or so.'' yawned Cole. ''They were arguing at the start.''

''They were?'' asked Nya, her voice slightly worried. 

''Yeah.'' Kai smiled. ''Something about smoking inside and health and all that.''

''Ah.''

''Why does Lloyd need to know how to meditate anyway?'' asked Jay.

''Beats me, probably a master thing. Since Lloyd is the leader... you know.'' Kai stretched his arms and yawned so ostentatiously, that there couldn't be doubt. He was dying of boredom.

''But they were talking smoke, right?'' Nya asked.

''Yeah. Why?''

''Well master Wu only meditates while ''smoking'' when he's trying to see into the future.''

''Oh right...''

''Do you think he's teaching Lloyd that?'' queried Cole.

''Wonder why Wu won't teach _ us _ how to see into the future.'' Jay groaned.

Cole gave the blue ninja a pointed look. ''You'd really wanna know how to see into the future?'' 

''No, but I'd like to be asked!''

''Oh brother...''

Before anyone could say anything, they heard an annoyed huff from the inside of the room and then a very annoyed Lloyd came through the door.

''Hey buddy!'' Jay saluted.

''Oh. Hey guys. What are you doing here?''

''We just got back from the dance-'' started Nya, but Jay quickly clasped a hand over her mouth. 

''A dance talent show!'' Jay finished.

Nya pinched her nose. 

''You were in a dance show?'' Cole asked his face lifting.

''No! No no, we only... watched one? Yeah! We were watching other people dancing, haha!'' Jay laughed almost hysterically. The others gave him confused stares. ''We definitely weren't dancing ourselves, because that would be really really weird... if... we...''

Nya gave her boyfriend a sharp look, that definitely said you're-making-it-worse and Jay just left the sentence as it was.

"So? How did it go?" Kai asked Lloyd instead.

Lloyd shrugged. ''We meditated. Then we didn't.''

''And did you see anything?'' worried Cole.

''What do you mean?'' Lloyd frowned.

''Wu was teaching you the future thing, with the spirits, right?'' Jay added.

Lloyd raised an eyebrow. ''Wu told you?''

''Nah, we kinda figured it out ourselves. So how did it go?''

"I didn't see anything." 

A collective sigh of relief could be heard from everyone present. Lloyd gave them all a confused look. "What? You're glad?"

"Of course we are, dude!" Jay grinned. 

"Yeah, what a relief, am I right?" Cole added. 

"You're relieved that I failed?" Lloyd asked incredulously.

"No, of course not, Lloyd." Nya smiled. "Wasn't it always a bad omen whenever Wu saw something in the smoke?"

"I guess so..." Lloyd mused.

"So let's be glad you didn't see anything!"

"Yeah, like a final battle number one hundred!" Jay observed. 

,,Huh." Lloyd vocalized. "I actually haven't thought about it that way."

"See? Now that we know for sure nothing's coming, let's eat that cake!" Cole exclaimed. 

,,What cake?" quizzed the ninja and Cole just grinned.

''And didn't you say your body is a temple again?'' 

''That's all in the past.''

''Dude it's only been a few hours.''

"Just follow me, youngsters." 

"I'm older than you."

"Details." 

Lloyd didn't jump in on the convo, because the guys always took every opportunity to tease him about his real age. Not gonna walk into that one again...

"Oh yeah? Well!" Cole suddenly grabbed Lloyd's shoulders and started dragging him towards the kitchen.

"Cole, what the heck?" 

"What? Don't be a baby." 

"I'm not, you're acting like one! I can walk on my own."

"So he thinks." Kai snorted as Cole hefted the green ninja on his shoulder and dragged him screaming and kicking to the kitchen. "Hey wait up!" 

"They're gonna eat the whole cake!" Nya wailed.

"After them!" Jay bellowed.

* * *

As the ninja departed, Wu took the bowl of smoking remains of the sticks and poured the ashes into a box in his closet.

Lloyd didn't see anything. That of course meant nothing, because as much as Lloyd strained to focus on the meditation, he didn't quite reach the state of mind, where he could have been touched by the spirits.

It gave Wu comfort that the green ninja at least tried. It wasn't necessary to learn the meditation, definitely not at Lloyd's age, but Wu worried. Worried about his place in the monastery, about his life with the ninja and about the time he still had left with them. 

He had proven his point before Aspheera. They've gotten soft. And while he can understand that, it will prove fatal one day, if they don't change their recovery pattern. 

And that's why he's teaching Lloyd how to communicate with the spirits of old. They will keep him and his team alert. 

"No, don't use spinjitzu in the... Lloyd, watch out!!"

There was a loud crash and a bellow of pain. Wu spun on his heels and sprinted into the kitchen. 

He found his students hovering over Lloyd who was clutching his wrist and had tears in his eyes. 

"What happened?" he barked and kneeled next to Lloyd. The ninja stilled, faces white and guilty. "Well?" 

Jay gulped and shot Lloyd an apologetic glance. "I- I knocked into him. A-accidentally!"

"Is that so?" Wu carefully examined his nephew's arm. It was bent wrong and already swelling up. "Can you move your fingers?" he asked calmly.

Lloyd tried, and his fingers did twitch a little. But the little movement drained at his already very pale face. 

Wu pressed his own fingers around the bone and Lloyd immediately protested loudly and cradled his hand to his chest. 

"It's dislocated." Nya said in a small voice.

"Right." said Wu as if he just decided on something, but he didn’t move. 

"Master Wu?" Cole stepped closer to the two and laid a hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "Hospital?"

"No, there's no need." Wu said, suddenly back to his matter-of-fact tone. "Maybe you'll learn something from this."

Lloyd gave his uncle a wary look. "W-what..?"

"Jay, since you're the one who caused this, I want you to fix it." Wu said sternly.

"What!?" Jay shrieked, eyes wide, face almost as pale as Lloyd's. "I- I- I can't! I don't know how to fix a dislocated wrist! I'm gonna make it worse!"

"No you're not."

Few minutes later the eerie silence outside was broken by a strangled shout and the monastery went dark. 


	2. P.I.B.A.A.L.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really didn't expect anyone to read this thing so thank you every single one of you who did! And to everyone who gave kudos and commented; I love you 💕  
> Alright, so let's not wander back into the monastery just yet, let's have some Zane time first, shall we? :)

Zane looked up from the cup, drained of tea and gave Pixal a long sad look. She looked so happy, so at ease with him and Cyrus Borg. He could understand the latter, he was after all her father.  
He sighed. How he missed his own.  


"Is everything alright, Zane?" Borg asked, a warm smile on his lips.  


"All things considered, I am as fine as I can be." Zane said and laid down his cup. A small robot clumsily poured him more tea. "Thank you." he said. The robot bowed its head slightly and circled around the table waiting for someone to hand him more work. Zane smiled, the robot and the whole meeting reminding him of the time he visited his own father.  


"Ah yes, Pixal told me you became an emperor in the... Never Realm, is that right?" Borg inquired.  


Zane kept his gaze low, pleasant nostalgia gone. "Yes… and it's not something I want to live through ever again."  


Borg wheeled a little closer to the nindroid and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I've been told you didn't hurt anyone."  
Zane thought about that. It's true he never hurt anyone physically.  
His ice kept everyone alive and well. But not well enough, he thought, as he recalled Akita's uncontrolled rage and Kataru's stubborn yet defeated silence. The faces of his guards drained of life, thin, pale, dead looking blue eyes...  


But Borg was right. He scared everyone to death and it will haunt him forever, but he never... killed.  


Zane shuddered. That word had an unpleasant taste to it. As ninja, they were all careful not to severely harm anyone, unless it was absolutely necessary.  
As an emperor, Zane kept the sentiment, even if unconsciously, he still kept to his father's wish, with the twisted information he'd gotten. And in the end it proved essential that at his core, he was still the same person.  


Vex on the other hand did a lot of things Zane would rather not remember. He never let him go too far, he assured himself. As far as he knew at least...  
Zane sighed sadly. For the longest time he took Vex as the closest, most trusted friend. A friend and a mentor in a way. He helped him to settle in his role as an emperor... and it hurt to think that all those decades were a lie. That Vex had never been honest, never trustworthy. Everything that came out of his mouth was a lie... that's what he had to believe anyway...  


"What concerns me is your memory, my boy." said Cyrus Borg gently, somehow able to follow Zane's stream of thoughts. The nindroid blinked at him from behind his mask.  
"You were an Ice Emperor longer... than you've been Zane." Borg continued gently.  


And the mask cracked.  


He was Zane. Son of doctor Julien. A student of master Wu. Protector of those who cannot protect themselves.  
He was NOT the Ice Emperor.  


"I've been lost." Zane said, confident in his words. "But my friends found me. They brought me back and more and more of my memories are coming back everyday."  
And it was true. Zane now even remembered the incident with the pink gi. And that was years back, that must mean he is back to normal.  


"That's good, Zane. Very good." Cyrus smiled and drank from his own cup of tea.  


Pixal watched as her father put the cup down and wheeled behind Zane. She had a feeling Zane wouldn't like what her father had undoubtedly planned to do. "May I have a look?" he said, gesticulating to the back of the nindroid's head, confirming Pixal's hypothesis.  


"Maybe we should let Zane heal on his own, father." she interjected, when Zane's eyes widened in something close to fear.  


"I was only gonna have a look if everything's alright in there." Borg held his hands up, when Pixal started to stand up and he patted Zane on the back. "But that is of course your decision, Zane. It's your body."  


Zane's shoulders twitched as he recalled yet another piece of his past. It wasn't really his body was it? A copy, he was a copy... He shook his head. He was past this, he knew he was. It was just fresh all over again.  


"No, please," he nodded at Pixal and he looked Cyrus Borg straight in the eye. "I want to know I'm alright."  


* * *

As it turned out, Vex didn't damage anything else. The data and energy he tried to transform into the mech that were then harshly cancelled were to blame for Zane's memory loss as they already knew.  
There was more work to do, however. Zane walked hand in hand with Pixal, while Borg excused himself to some other business. Pixal asked what he was working on, but Cyrus just mischievously smirked and sent them on their way, along with one of his nindroids dressed in white.  


He, the nindroid, acted with almost no emotion and Zane was curious about him and the other nindroids.  


Were they like them? Were they… alive? Sadly he didn’t utter a single word aside from a, "Yes, sir." which he barked at Cyrus, when the scientist asked him to lead the ninja to the newly repaired vault of dangerous artifacts and a, "Follow me, please." when they first saw him enter.  


Zane shot Pixal a look. He was her brother in a way, wasn’t he? What did she make of him?  


He blinked, his fuzzy memory offering him a piece of the little while when she was in his head. Simple times, he thought. I would just ask her then, now it wouldn’t be appropriate, at least not in front of the nindroid, he thought. Then again he was glad they could feel each other’s presence physically now. Being in each other’s thoughts couldn’t really compare to the real thing.  
"Is there something you’d like to say?" Pixal smiled, when she finally noticed Zane staring at her. Zane, interrupted from his thoughts, scratched behind his ear.  


"Well actually..." he started, not really sure how to go about it. "I wanted to ask the nindroid a question- whoa!" Zane started, when the said nindroid stopped right in front of him.  
"How may I assist you?" he pondered, not sounding particularly interested. Zane could swear that was a hint of annoyance he was hearing. Huh, emotions.  


"Erm, well..." Zane ever so gently pushed the nindroid from his personal space. "What’s your name?" he blurted out.  


"S.I.S.A.L.," he offered. "Secondary Interactive Security Action Life-form."  


Pixal tilted her head. "Secondary?" she asked.  


"That is correct," Sisal said indifferently. "You are the Primary Interactive X-ternal Assistant Life-form and you..."The nindroid furrowed his brows. "...you are Zane."  
Sisal took a step forward to the titanium ninja and placed his hand on his chest, his eyes, with a touch of interest in them, concentrated on where his heart was. Zane didn’t push him away.  
"Permission to scan?" Sisal asked, looking directly into the older nindroid’s eyes.  


Zane exchanged looks with Pixal, who gave Zane an encouraging smile. "Permission granted."  


A red scan flashed over Zane’s body and Sisal confirmed completion. "You are a copy of the first nindroid Zane." he concluded. Zane closed his eyes. He WAS over this. "Your titanium overhaul is most impressive- You are an upgraded primary interactive battle action assistant life-form. P.I.B.A.A.L. Your predecesor’s scan was used for creation of the nindroids used by the Overlord and my-"  
"Wait wait wait, I have a name?" Zane shook his head. "I-I mean, my… nindroid, um… did Cyrus Borg name my… my model Pibaal?" he asked. Either he couldn’t remember this information from his past, or it was a new information. And no one told him…  


"He didn’t actually..." Pixal looked at her feet and Zane was sure if she could, she would be blushing. "I named you that... "  


"You did?" Zane stared disbelievingly at her. "And you never told me?"  


"I-I… the factory named you! When it… remade you, maybe you even named yourself that, I don’t know!" She looked at Sisal accusingly and crossed her arms. "Back then in the prison it didn’t seem to me like a good idea to have you know the name. You needed to remember who you were! It would only complicate things and-"  


"Hey that’s alright, Pixal." Zane placed his hand on her shoulder. "I’m not mad or anything."  


"No need to be upset," Sisal said. "It's of little relevance."  


"It’s his name, Sisal, of course it’s important!" Pixal growled. "I should’ve told you sooner. Now with all your memory being corrupted again I-"  


"I’m alright aren’t I?" Zane said, suddenly getting defensive. "My identity is not going to fall apart because of some other withheld information!" he spit out. His eyes glowed an angry blue and the box in his hands shook.  


Zane yelped and threw the scroll of forbidden spinjitzu on the ground. Pixal opened her mouth, regret in her eyes, but couldn’t seem to form a word.  


Zane’s chest just heaved as he took deep breaths. No more of that…  


Sisal quirked an eyebrow, picked the box from the ground and squinted at the nindroids.  
"I don’t understand what’s gotten you so upset. Both of you."  


He straightened and gripped the box tightly to himself. "This package holds an ancient and a dangerous artifact, and mister Borg told me we should treat it carefully." He spun on his heels and strolled ahead.  
"And besides he is Zane." Sisal said sharply.  


"Hey wait up!" Zane called out, when the nindroid started to get out of sight. He gave Pixal a look. "Come on."  


The nindroid samurai sighed and ran after them.  


"Sorry for… dropping the scroll." Zane said. He was glad the thing is off his hands if he was being honest.  


"That is alright. You didn't damage it." Sisal said.  


"What a shame." Pixal murmured bitterly.  


Zane lowered his gaze guiltily and silently agreed with her. There was a part of him that rejoiced at the taste of the power his anger sparked and it scared him.  
"So Sisal," Zane started. "What do you do for fun?"  


The nindroid stopped. "Pardon?"  


"You know, with the other nindroids, after your done guarding the tower." Pixal offered, trying to change the subject as well.  


Sisal had a genuine look of confusion on his features. "I'm sorry, my program doesn't extend to human traditions, I do not have the Assistant stat. I was built to protect this facility and the lives of other life-forms. Nothing more."  


"But you are Interactive…" Pixal nudged. "So you are able to adapt and learn. Didn't you ever see anyone have fun?"  


"I am stationed outside of the rooms in which humans work."  


"And you never leave your station?" Zane frowned.  


"Of course not, that would mean disobeying my orders." Sisal shrugged.  


"And you never even considered that, huh?"  


Sisal seemed to hesitate for a second before he shook his head. "My place is here." he said.  


Pixal smiled at Sisal. "Of course it is, Sisal. It's just… I mean, look at Zane and me, you could ask our father to let you… maybe come with us to the monastery? You could see the other ninja and Destiny's Bounty and all sorts of other things. It could be like a vacation."  


Sisal blinked at both of them, emotion in his eyes. Suddenly he grabbed his hood and pulled it off.  


Both Pixal and Zane stared at his face. Uncanny resemblance. He looked a lot like Cryptor. His eyes weren't cruel and full of arrogance however. His hair was black, pulled to a tiny ponytail and he had a small number above his left eyebrow. It read, 7.  


"I would love to take you up on your offer. One day. Right now, we have work to do." Sisal said and smiled.  
As he turned his back on them, Zane grinned at Pixal and she back at him.  


"Father?" Zane smiled.  


"What, it's true and I know you were thinking about it too." Pixal said.  


"Well, here we are." Sisal announced a few minutes later.  


Zane took the box from him and hesitated before opening it. He took the scroll in his hands and felt his power come to life. Wondrous. He shook his head and gave it to Sisal. "We're counting on you to hide it well." Pixal said.  


"There's no need to worry." he winked and left them standing in the long hall as the door behind him closed shut.  


"Zane, I am sorry." Pixal said, searching her boyfriend's eyes.  


Zane shook his head. "Don't be," he entwined his long fingers with her's and smiled at that. "There's nothing to be sorry for. I know I still have problems with this whole… identity, me being both Zane, the Titanium ninja, the Ice Emperor... and now this Pibaal name," he gave into an unhappy laugh. Pixal looked away. He gently took her face and turned it back to him. "The thing is I understand now, that me, the real me, isn't one of them. I am all of them. I just need time to accept that."  


"No one can just make the ugly parts dissapear. Well," another dry laugh. "At least untill someone messes with my head again."  


"I won't let that happen," Pixal said resolutely. "Not ever again. Me and the others. We will protect you."  


"I know you will." Zane leaned into a hesitant hug and she hugged him back with so much enthusiasm, it squeezed another laugh out of him.  


She wasn't afraid of him. He was alright.


End file.
